Packers-Vikings Week 17 Dope Sheet

*Two years after he co-founded the Packers with Curly Lambeau, George Calhoun began writing a piece called The Dope Sheet, which served as the official press release and game program from 1921-24. *

*Honoring Calhoun, the first publicity director, the Packers are running this weekly feature as their release, which is being made available to fans exclusively on Packers.com. This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. To read the full version, download the PDF by **clicking here**. *

Here are some highlights from the Packers-Vikings Week 17Dope Sheet:

GREEN BAY (11-4) AT MINNESOTA (9-6)Sunday, Dec. 30 - Mall of America Field - 3:25 p.m. CST

PACKERS TO WRAP UP REGULAR SEASON IN MINNESOTA

• For the first time since 1992, the Packers will close out their regular season at Minnesota when they play the Vikings this Sunday.
• The Packers improved to 11-4 on the season with a 55-7 victory over Tennessee on Sunday. Green Bay is currently the No. 2 seed in the NFC and can clinch a first-round bye for the second straight season with a win at Minnesota.
• This marks the fourth time in the history of the series (since 1961) that the two clubs have met in a season finale at Minnesota, with the other meetings coming in 1984, 1991 and 1992. It is the first time the teams have met in the regular-season finale since 1996.
• The 1996 meeting at Lambeau Field was the last time both teams entered the matchup with nine or more wins. Green Bay came into the '96 finale with a 12-3 mark and the Vikings entered the game at 9-6.
• The clubs played earlier this month in Week 13 (Dec. 2), as this marks the first time in the series that both games have been in December.
• The Packers have won nine consecutive season finales (2003-11), the longest current streak in the NFL and the longest in franchise history.
• Over the past 18 seasons (1994-2011), Green Bay has won its regular-season finale every year but one (2002).
• The Packers have won at least 10 games each of the last four seasons, which ties the franchise record (1929-32, 1995-98, 2001-04). Green Bay and New England are the only teams in the league with 10-plus wins each of the last four seasons (2009-12).
• Green Bay has won nine of its last 10 games, which is the second-best record in the league since Week 6 behind only Denver (10-0).
• With their 21-13 win at Chicago in Week 15, the Packers extended theirfranchise-record divisional winning streak to 12 games(previous mark was eight games). It is tied for the longest divisional winning streak since realignment in 2002 with Indianapolis (2004-06) and Baltimore (2010-12).
• The Packers will be looking to become the first NFL team to go undefeated in its division in back-to-back seasons since the league went to a divsional format in 1967 (according to the Elias Sports Bureau). Green Bay went 6-0 in the NFC North in 2011 and has a 5-0 record this season.
• Green Bay has had a winning record in its division for a franchise-record seven consecutive seasons. New England is the only other team in the NFL to post a winning record in its division each year from 2006-12.
• The Packers have won five straight NFC North regular-season games away from Lambeau Field, the longest streak by the team since a five-game road divisional streak from 2006-07.
• Green Bay has won 11 of its last 15 (.733) regular-season road contests.
• The Packers have won 28 of their last 33 regular-season games overall (.848), the best record in the league over that span.
• This Sunday's contest will be Green Bay's fifth game indoors this season, the most ever in a season in franchise history (four indoor games in 1987, 1992, 1996, 2004 and 2009).

 WITH THE CALL

• FOX Sports, now in its 19th season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game to the majority of the country.
• Play-by-play man Joe Buckand color analystTroy Aikman will have the call from the broadcast booth with Pam Oliver reporting from the sidelines.
• Milwaukee's WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 53-station Packers Radio Network, with Wayne Larrivee(play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro BowlerLarry McCarren (color) calling the action. The duo enters its 14th season of broadcasts together across the Packers Radio Network, which covers 44 markets in six states.
• Dial Global Sports radio will air the game across the country. Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and Mark Malone (analyst) will call the action, with Scott Graham hosting pregame and halftime shows.
• The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (Channel 104) as part of the network's NFL Sunday Drive.
• DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game in HD on Channel 706.

 
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

• Packers vs. Vikings:
• All-time regular season:54-47-1
• All-time, postseason:0-1
• All-time, in Minnesota:25-25-0
• Streaks:The Packers have won the last five meetings.
• Last meeting, at Minnesota, regular season:Oct. 23, 2011, at Mall of America Field; Packers won, 33-27

 
COACHES CAPSULES

• Mike McCarthy: 79-40-0, .664, (incl. 5-3 postseason); 7th NFL season
• Leslie Frazier:15-22-0, .405; 3rd NFL season (interim coach in 2010)
• Head to Head:McCarthy 3-0
• vs. Opponent:McCarthy 10-3 vs. Vikings; Frazier 0-3 vs. Packers

MIKE McCARTHY…Is in seventh year as the Packers' 14th head coach.

• Joined Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to guide the Packers to a Super Bowl title with a win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.
• Has led the Packers to playoff appearances in four of his six seasons as the helm, and the team's four postseason berths over the past five seasons are the most by an NFC team.
• His .664 winning percentage (including playoffs) ranks No. 3 among active NFL coaches (min. 50 games).
• One of only two coaches, along with New Orleans' Sean Payton, to have his offense ranked in the top 10 in total yardage each season from 2006-11.
• Was named Packers head coach on Jan. 12, 2006, his first head-coaching job after 13 years as an NFL assistant.
• Became the first Packers coach since Lombardi to lead the team to a championship game in his second season (2007).

 LESLIE FRAZIER…Is in third year as the Vikings' eighth head coach (served as the interim coach for the final six games in 2010).

• Served as Minnesota's defensive coordinator for four seasons (2007-10) and led the Vikings to top-10 finishes in total defense each season from 2008-10.
• Coached with the Philadelphia Eagles (1999-2002), Cincinnati Bengals (2003-04) and Indianapolis Colts (2005-06) before coming to Minnesota. In 12 seasons as NFL coach, has suffered a losing season only twice.
• Has coached on seven playoff teams and been a part of six division championships in his first 13 seasons as an NFL coach.
• Played defensive back for the Chicago Bears (1981-86) and was a member of Chicago's Super Bowl XX team.

 THE PACKERS-VIKINGS SERIES

• This marks the 104th overall meeting between the border rivals.
• The Packers own a slight advantage over the Vikings (54-48-1, including playoffs) in the all-time series. 
• Green Bay's current five-game winning streak is the longest by the club since a five-game streak against Minnesota from 2006-08. Prior to that, the longest streak for either team was Green Bay's five-game winning streak from 1983-85.
• The series began when the Vikings entered the league in 1961, and Vince Lombardi's Packers won nine of the first 10.
• Over the last 19 seasons (1994-2012), these teams have accounted for 14 NFC Central/North division championships.

 NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers LB Robert Francois entered the league as a non-drafted free agent with the Vikings in 2009…Packers C Jeff Saturday played for the Colts with Vikings G Charlie Johnson and when Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier and defensive coordinator Alan Williams were on the staff in Indianapolis…Packers tight ends coach Jerry Fontenot played for the Bengals in 2004 when Frazier was on Cincinnati's staff...Fontenot was a teammate of Vikings special assistant to the head coach/linebackers Mike Singletary with the Bears…Singletary coached with Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo on the San Francisco staff in 2005…Vikings tight ends coach Jimmie Johnson played for Kansas City for one season (1994) when McCarthy was an offensive asst. there…Packers assistant offensive line coach Joel Hilgenberg's uncle, Wally, played linebacker for the Vikings for for 12 seasons (1968-79)...Vikings special teams coordinator Mike Priefer's father, Chuck, was an assistant coach for the Packers from 1984-85...Vikings defensive backs coach Joe Woods held the same post at Western Michigan when Packers WR Greg Jennings played there...Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers and Vikings linebackers coach Fred Pagac coached on the staff together at Ohio State in the early 1980s...Pagac coached in Oakland when Packers DB Charles Woodson played for the Raiders…Vikings asst. defensive line coach Diron Reynolds' brother, Jamal, was selected in the first round by the Packers in 2001…Packers running backs coach Alex Van Pelt played for the Bills when Vikings running backs coach James Saxon was on Buffalo's staff…Packers defensive line coach Mike Trgovac and Vikings offensive line coach Jeff Davidson coached on the staff together in Carolina...Trgovac was on the staff with Vikings strength and conditioning coach Tom Kanavy in Philadelphia and when Johnson played tight end for the Eagles...Former college teammates include Packers LB Clay Matthews and Vikings DE Everson Griffen, FB Rhett Ellison and T Matt Kalil (Southern California), Packers TE Jermichael Finley and Vikings DE Brian Robison (Texas), Packers DE Ryan Pickett and Vikings CB Antonie Winfield and WR Michael Jenkins (Ohio State), Packers LB A.J. Hawk and Jenkins (Ohio State), Packers TE D.J. Williams and Vikings WR Jarius Wright (Arkansas), Packers DE Mike Daniels and LB Dezman Moses and Vikings DT Christian Ballard and TE Allen Reisner (Iowa), and Packers LB Terrell Manning and Vikings LB Audie Cole (North Carolina State)…Packers area scout Lee Gissendaner went to training camp with the Vikings in 1996 and spent parts of that season on Minnesota's practice squad...Green Bay director of research and development Mike Eayrs (similar capacity, 1985-99) previously worked for the Vikings, as did Packers VP of football administration/player finance Russ Ball (1999-2000) and VP of sales and marketing Tim Connolly (1998-99).

 LAST MEETING, IN MINNESOTA

• Oct. 23, 2011, at Mall of America Field; Packers won, 33-27.
• QB Aaron Rodgers led the offense with 335 passing yards and three TDs on 24-of-30 passing with no interceptions.
• WR Greg Jennings led the club with seven receptions for 147 yards, highlighted by a 79-yard TD grab early in the second half.
• RB James Starks rushed for 75 yards on 13 carries (5.8 avg.), with 55 of those yards coming on the Packers' final drive as they ran the final 2:30 off the clock.
• CB Charles Woodson picked off rookie QB Christian Ponder twice on the afternoon, the sixth multi-INT game of his Green Bay career.
• RB Adrian Peterson led the Vikings with 175 yards rushing and a TD on 24 carries (7.3 avg.).

STAT OF THE WEEK

• In Sunday's victory over the Titans, the Packers had their best scoring output of Mike McCarthy's head-coaching tenure.
• The 55 points registered in the 55-7 victory were tied for the third most in a game in franchise history. It was the best scoring output by the Packers since they beat Tampa Bay, 55-14, on Oct. 2, 1983, at Lambeau Field.
• Green Bay's scoring total on Sunday trails only the Packers' 57 points vs. Detroit on Oct. 7, 1945, and the 56-point output vs. Atlanta on Oct. 23, 1966.
• The Packers' 48-point margin of victory was their largest since a 49-point win over New Orleans at Lambeau Field (52-3) on Oct. 9, 2005. It is tied for the fifth-largest margin of victory in franchise history with a 55-7 win vs. Cleveland in Milwaukee on Nov. 12, 1967.
• Sunday's effort by Green Bay was the eighth 50-point game registered by an NFL team this season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the most in the league in a single season since there were 10 games of 50-plus points in 1966.

*This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. To read the full version, download the PDF by **clicking here**. *